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Driving advice for this wintery day:
My take on driving on snow/icy roads is much similar to the antique cars at Holiday World..Stay n the tracks n keep the unclear n the middle
— Courtney Persohn (@shortcourt_12) February 5, 2014
Drive carefully!
Are you getting all this crazy snow?
Mother Nature thought Santa looked a little chilly, so she sent him a blanket.
Of snow.
Oh, poor Santa!
Here’s a quick look at the snowfall:
Keep warm, everyone – spring is one day closer!
It’s snowing like crazy here in Santa Claus!
And our namesake is getting blanketed:
Stay safe and warm – and don’t forget to enter our Cabin Fever Sweepstakes by midday Wednesday!
We haven’t said much yet about the new restaurant coming to Splashin’ Safari this season – but it’s got a great name, I can tell you that.
Here’s one of the menu items:
Chicken salad sandwich on a croissant bun? Mais oui!
What do you think – will you try one? Or are you a traditionalist and plan to stick with pizza? Please post your thoughts and ideas below and we’ll be sure to pass them along.
That slightly re-written line from Broadway’s iconic “A Chorus Line” says it all.
Getting up in front of a judges’ table to sing and dance your heart out is a remarkably brave (and scary) thing to do.
Auditions are gut-wrenchingly difficult for the judges, too. They truly want everyone to do their very best. They wish they could cast every last auditionee.
I asked our staff members who have served in this capacity over the years for some tips.
They nearly blew up the text window on my phone with their flurry of suggestions.
And here are those Tips (before reading, though, please note all of these suggestion come from the judges’ experiences away from the park – so if you’ve auditioned here before, we’re not talking about you):
Lori: Use an accompaniment – do not sing a cappella at an audition.
Eric: Know the words.
Leah: Don’t pick a song that has inappropriate lyrics. It’s just uncomfortable for everyone.
Matt: Select a song that showcases your voice and your range – not a song you think we’ll want to hear. Song selection is critical.
Leah: Sing to everyone in the room. The ceiling isn’t going anywhere, nor is the floor. And singing to just one judge is weird. Trust me.
Lori: Practice in front of a mirror until you don’t look like a deer in the headlights. Try to relax and have fun!
Sandi: We want to hear you sing, not the original artist. Bring a accompaniment track without lead vocals.
Eric: If you aren’t a skilled guitar player, leave it at home.
Sandi: If you mess up, “own it.” We want to see if you have what it takes even if something goes wrong.
Lori: Know your song.
Leah: Think about the musical genres represented in our shows. Unless you can really belt out a showstopper, now is probably not the time for Broadway. Think ’80s hits, country, gospel. Show us you’re a fit for our shows.
Matt: Do not wear a lime-green unitard.
Sandi: Always wear a lime-green unitard.
(Hmmm … I detect a good story here, don’t you? In a nutshell, the guy in the lime-green unitard was remembered, but not for his singing or dancing. Sandi was just being sassy there.)
Matt: Impromptu splits during freestyle choreography is not looked upon favorably. Especially if you’re wearing a lime-green unitard.
Sandi: Have a portion of a song ready for each of our show styles, just in case. We may want you for the gospel show, but you auditioned with country. Be prepared!
Matt: Remember that we are looking for entertainers. In the past, some of our best entertainers have not necessarily been our best vocalists or dancers.
Lori: Sell, sell, sell!
Matt: Believe in yourself and know your audience. Make us believe that you are the best.
Auditions for our 2014 musical shows are coming up on February 8. Interested? Please check out the Auditions info here on our website.
And … break a leg!
It’s a little chilly out, but … if you insist:
Believe it or not, we have a super bowl tag here on the HoliBlog.
Hope your team wins today!
There’s a groundhog in Pennsylvania who gets a lot of attention this time of the year.
But here in Santa Claus, Indiana, we rely on Holidog for our weather prognostication:
No shadow for Holidog! And exactly what does that mean?
Spring is right around the corner!
It’s a rite of passage here: that first search for the perfect white running shoe.
Or walking shoe.
Or tennis shoe.
Sneakers.
Jennifer from Marketing was all a flutter yesterday, proudly announcing she’d found not-one-but-two perfect pairs of white shoes for the summer (read: park uniform) season.
I could barely conceal the urge to slowly shake my head.
Ah, Grasshopper. We don’t choose the shoe. The shoe chooses us.
We don’t know whether we’ve found the exact fit until that first 10-hour day out in the park.
Don’t worry, I assured her. I keep talcum powder in my office. And band-aids. And chocolate.
Jennifer has been on board here for about four months. She’s a hoot.
Matt says his favorite thing about Jennifer is when she gets laughing really, really hard … she snorts. A totally loud, unladylike snort.
It’s awesome
For me, that snort is something to aspire to. It’s like this game:
The challenge in the game is to get that bell to ring.
My challenge with Jennifer is to get her laughing hard enough that she snorts.
Ding!
Music to my ears.
As an old timer here, I’ve tried to share little helpful hints with Jennifer.
Things that I’ve learned the hard way.
For example: I congratulated her for her forethought in purchasing two pairs of white shoes for the long summer. And advised her to keep the second pair in her office.
That way, when you get caught in a downpour out in the park – and-trust-me-you-will – you can go back in your office and put on your dry shoes.
Jennifer thanked me and started to leave my office.
Wait! Here’s the second part of that tip: keep a second pair of socks in your office, too.
Oh, I learned that one the hard way.
And I’d have felt like a heel (a soaking wet heel) not to pass it along.
Thanks to everyone who entered; we hope it warmed you up just a bit!
Our winner was chosen at random – congratulations to Sheena H. from Martinsville, Illinois!
——
Anyone else have a severe case of cabin fever?
Customarily, that means everyone in your house (er, cabin) is just itching to get outside and have some fresh-air fun after too many long winter days cooped up inside.
Because going outside is icy and slippery. And even a little creepy:
Brrrr! The above photo is from out on Lake Rudolph. It’s frozen solid.
Mr. Obvious must have stopped by to post a sign:
The frozen shores of Lake Rudolph are making crackling and popping noises. Have you ever been around a frozen pond or lake? It can be quite musical.
Can’t help wonder what the wind chill would be riding Raven right about now – swooping over icy Lake Rudolph.
And here’s another look across the lake – recognize this coaster?
Today we introduce a different sort of Cabin Fever – a toasty hot sweepstakes!
Instead of thinking about the cold, wind, snow and ice – let’s think about a fun getaway to Holiday World, with overnights in a cozy cabin!
We’ll have one lucky winner, chosen at random, who will receive four one-day tickets to Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari and a two-night stay in one of Rudolph’s Christmas Cabins next door to us at Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort. Please note: the Christmas Cabin’s availability to the sweepstakes winner runs from May 1 to May 22, 2014, and May 26 to June 14, 2014 (sorry, not available during Memorial Day Weekend). Winner must call Lake Rudolph to make cabin reservation. Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari tickets may be used any day during the park’s 2014 season.
A few necessaries:
And yes, you may enter once a day! Enter here from a mobile device; or if you’re using an immobile device, enter via the widget, below:
Good luck to all – spring isn’t that far off!
What else to do on a winter’s day when the high temperature is a single digit?
Create a new funnel cake flavor, of course!
No, we’re not inventing Lobster Funnel Cakes.
Um. Eww.
This new menu item is none other than a Red Velvet Funnel Cake.
Oh, yes!
We tweeted out a photo yesterday around suppertime and immediately heard from growling HoliTummies.
.@CoasterRyder went to photograph the making of Red Velvet Funnel Cakes; all he brought me back was … a photo. pic.twitter.com/NBezmAlqGK
— Holiday World (@HolidayWorld) January 28, 2014
@HolidayWorld @CoasterRyder Sitting in EVSC school board meeting and this pops up in my mini feed…my stomach just started growling. #yum
— Megan Erbacher (@ECP_Erbacher) January 28, 2014
@HolidayWorld @CoasterRyder Uhhhhhhh… WANT!
— Steve (@GunsnCoasters) January 28, 2014
@HolidayWorld what day does the park open again? I need to be there for this deliciousness.
— Lora Ford (@FordL3891) January 28, 2014
@HolidayWorld ok. This is officially the BEST thing I’ve seen all day. And night. Looks delicious!
— Stacie Michelle (@StacieintheSTL) January 28, 2014
Our Facebook friends got pretty excited, too:
I’m hearing powdered sugar is just the start.
How about a cream-cheese drizzle?
Any other toppings we should consider? Be sure to post your ideas here – I promise to pass them along!